


tailored distractions

by lafbaeyette



Series: finding their home [1]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Nonbinary Lafayette, not really much lafayette but is there ever enough lafayette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-18 12:29:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5928370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lafbaeyette/pseuds/lafbaeyette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John had never found a hitch in his Tuesday routine until today, the one day he desperately needed this time because he was struggling far too much with this chapter and the test was quickly coming up. As the clock hands shifted to inform the world that it was ten, John’s concentration was broken by a thumping bass beneath his feet. This wasn’t the first time their downstairs neighbors happened to play obnoxiously loud music, but it was the first time it was proving to be an actual problem.</p>
<p>AKA </p>
<p>The One Where John Can't Even Be Mad That Hercules Interrupted His Study Session</p>
            </blockquote>





	tailored distractions

**Author's Note:**

> It's official, this has become a thing. Thank my friend for questioning me relentlessly on the Gay Trio + Mulligan until I had so many headcanons about this 'verse that I had to make it a thing so I could play with them. 
> 
> So, this is the same 'verse as 'of pastas, eagles, and jackets' and 'of ice and snowmen'. Not necessary to read those two before you read this one, as this actually comes BEFORE them -- but if you're interested I do hope you find your way over to them. This is just a little something to throw Hercules Mulligan where he belongs: In the Spotlight. (And into my writings)

The apartment was silent, almost eerily so, but that was how John liked it. A fresh mug of coffee warmed his hands in the chilly morning air that swept in from a partially opened window as John settled onto the couch with his biology textbook and notes. Midterms were right around the corner and John was not one to be caught unprepared, especially when his future at the school depended on him getting an above average grade on this test. Of course Henry Laurens put up a fight when John decided he wanted to go the pre-med track rather than pre-law or simply going into politics, but after a summer of stilted arguments, countless points about the success waiting in a medical profession, and retreating further into the closet — because if a simple change in major set his father off, a ‘change’ in sexuality was sure to get him disowned — he was finally on the track he wanted. The only stipulation was that he had to do more than simply pass his classes, he had to  _excel_  in them, otherwise his father was pulling all funding until John went back to the major _he_ wanted. This wasn’t exactly an easy task, the classes were difficult and John may have been in over his head when he enrolled in seven classes this semester to make up for the credits he felt he wasted the previous year. He knew all of those classes would still count toward his degree, and would essentially knock out most of his elective requirements, but they still felt like wasted time.

John was making it all work, though. He spent night after night in the library studying, knowing that if he were to stay in the apartment Lafayette would prove to be a great distraction. Lafayette was his best friend by far, probably the most interesting, compassionate, and enthusiastic soul John had ever had the pleasure of meeting. They had gotten to know each other within the first few weeks of their first year after running into each other in their dorm’s lounge night after night, as it turned out they had both been stuck with intolerable roommates — which led to many nights of bitching together about how insufferable the men they lived with could be. After failing to secure a room switch to live together second semester, the two made the decision to rent an apartment the following year. They both came from rather wealthy backgrounds, and to say that Henry Laurens was ecstatic to hear John no longer wanted to live in the dorms would be an understatement. John just failed to mention that his new roommate was French, nonbinary, polysexual Lafayette. His father’s head probably would have exploded, and John wasn’t 100% sure he hadn’t been written out of the will for wanting to be a doctor, so he avoided disclosing that detail. Lafayette was a great roommate, a spectacular friend, but also John’s biggest distraction. They weren’t capable of being together and being quiet, this they learned quickly after the year began and every night they meant to spend studying was instead spent in heated conversation over  literally anything from elected officials to the latest school-wide gossip or drinking themselves into oblivion — generally, there was a  good mixture of both. After doing poorly on his first paper, John decided he should stick to the library for studying. 

Except for Tuesdays. Tuesdays were Lafayette’s busiest day, they had three classes plus Sexuality Alliance club meetings. This meant that from 7:30 in the morning until nearly 8 o’ clock at night Lafayette was on campus. John only had one class on Tuesdays, at two in the afternoon, which meant he could spend the day studying at home until he met Lafayette for lunch around one (there was no way they could go twelve hours without seeing each other at least once).

Every Tuesday morning John woke up at 7:25 to be rewarded with a steaming cup of freshly-brewed coffee and a kiss on the cheek before Lafayette rushed off to class, and by eight he was nestled into the couch with a second cup and everything he would need to study. Usually he would barely move until he needed to get ready to head to lunch, maybe take a break every so often to stretch his legs or go find a book he had forgotten to grab, but aside from that John used this precious time to enjoy studying in the comfort of his pajamas and couch rather than the back-ache-inducing, un-cushioned chairs in the library. John had never found a hitch in his Tuesday routine until today, the one day he desperately needed this time because he was struggling far too much with this chapter and the test was quickly coming up. 

As the clock hands shifted to inform the world that it was ten, John’s concentration was broken by a thumping bass beneath his feet. His long abandoned coffee mug vibrated on the table and John furrowed his brow, this wasn’t the first time their downstairs neighbors happened to play obnoxiously loud music, but it _was_ the first time it was proving to be an actual problem. The bass stopped a moment later, but the music, while unintelligible, was still fairly audible through the floor. There were few moments John wished they had splurged on a better apartment, one whose building wasn’t constantly in disarray and whose walls (and apparently _floors_ ) weren’t paper thin, they thought it gave it _character_. Now it only gave John a stress headache as he stomped his foot hoping to get the point across. Any other time, you could find him with Lafayette dancing badly or otherwise living with the musical choices of their neighbors a floor blow. Today, John was not ready to deal with it. A test around the corner, words jumbling together that he just couldn’t make sense of, and now this obnoxious ring of music coming up through the floor — after his stomping proved futile, he tossed his books to the side and decided it was time he gave his neighbors a piece of his mind. Or at least beg them to shut the hell up until he left the building. 

John’s knuckles rapped viciously against the door to apartment 405 several times before he finally heard heavy footsteps approaching. He wondered how everyone else on this floor put up with this music so often, usually it wasn’t until early evening that it caused a disturbance to John and Lafayette’s apartment, but John could hear it all along the floor as soon as he stepped onto the landing. The door swung open several seconds later and John was assaulted with what he quickly realized was the RENT soundtrack. The man behind the door looked like last person John would expect to be listening to RENT, tall and broad, his expression slightly annoyed when he opened the door. 

“Can you turn that down some?” He tried to ask over the music, raising his voice in an attempt to be louder than Idina Menzel, but the man just furrowed his brows in question. John rolled his eyes and spoke louder, “The. _MUSIC_. Turn it _DOWN_.” He mimed turning a volume knob, his frustrations only growing until the man finally seemed to understand what he was saying and took half a step back as he pulled something from his pocket. The music finally lowered until John could hear himself think again, nothing more than a hum in the background, and he let out a little sigh of relief. “Thank you.” 

“I’m sorry about that, man,” he stepped back into the doorway. “I was pretty sure the floor was empty around this time — most people work day shift so I figured it’d be okay— You just move in? I don’t recognize you…” 

“Oh,” John shook his head quickly, looking down the hall to all the other closed doors. No wonder no one complained, this man seemed to have his neighbor’s schedules figured out and took them into consideration. “No, I-uh— well, I moved in a few months ago, but I live above you. The floors aren’t much better than the walls.” John chuckled a little, scratching at the back of his neck. “Usually I wouldn’t mind, my roommate and I actually tend to have fun with it in the evenings, but I’ve been trying to study so…” 

“Oh, no, no! I got you, I get it. I’ve actually been… studying, too, I guess you could say. Music helps me focus, but I’ll keep it down.” The man thrusted a hand out, lips spreading into a wide grin. “I’m Hercules Mulligan, by the way. Nice to meet my upstairs neighbor.” 

“John Laurens,” John shook his hand firmly, pausing when he noticed Hercules’ eyes sweep over his body. He dropped the other male’s hand and took a step back, beginning to feel uncomfortable under the gaze, though Hercules didn’t seem to notice. 

“Okay, this may sound weird… but, I actually kind of need help with something and you look like the perfect person to ask.” Hercules spoke up quickly before John could move further away and John eyed him nervously, mouth falling open as he searched for a response. Hercules must have noticed his hesitation, he quickly added, “I’m a fashion student, I’m, uh, I’m working on a project and my model fell through until late tomorrow, but you’re about the same size as him — Would you mind? It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.” 

John was taken aback, surprised to learn that the man looming in the doorway was a fashion student. Against his better judgement, John nodded slowly, unsure if he was taking the chance to procrastinate or just curious to see how this would turn out. Hercules’ face split into a large, lopsided grin that caused John to pause and take a moment to regain his breath before following the man as he stepped back into the apartment. Hercules’ apartment was, predictably, a similar set up to John and Lafayette’s — a couch was pushed against the far wall in the small living room space, a folding table littered with fabrics and sewing supplies taking up most of the room. A sewing machine sat on the corner of the table in front of a stool, which Hercules sat on as John glanced around at the few things hanging on the wall, they mostly appeared to be sketches of outfits. 

“Welcome to my living room-slash-office,” Hercules joked as he started moving things around on the table. “Just one second…” He pulled a stretch of fabric off the table, holding it up to reveal a very nice suit jacket, John glanced down to realize he was actually still in pajama pants and his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “Slip this on?” Hercules ignored the blush over John’s cheeks as he helped John slide his arms into the jacket and stepped back to study him. 

“This is really nice,” John spoke hesitantly, wanting to squirm under Hercules’ scrutiny. Another smile broke the taller man’s serious expression and set John at ease for the moment. 

“Thank you, I’m all about comfort over style — Now I’m just trying to combine the two.” Hercules reached for something off the table before moving behind John. “Just let me know if you lose that comfort, a’ight? You care if I turn the music back on, by the way? You like musicals?”

“My roommate does,” John shrugged, glancing over his shoulder. “So I’m used to it, go for it.” Hercules nodded, stepping away to turn the volume on his radio back up. John recognized the song, Lafayette _did_ love RENT, and may have found himself humming along a few minutes later. 

“Your roommate the only musical lover?” Hercules laughed when he heard John humming as he started tugging at the jacket, pinning pieces here and there, trying to add… _something_ , something that would make it stand out. John started to turn and shoot him a glare, but a warm, broad palm clasped his shoulder blade as Hercules murmured, “Stay still, don’t wanna stab you on accident.” John obeyed, nodding silently and focusing on the familiar chords of _Tango Maureen_  instead of how incredibly _aware_ he was of Hercules hands now running gently over one of his sides, obviously smoothing the fabric rather than trying to touch John in any way. That didn’t stop John’s pulse from picking up, thankful for the distraction when Hercules finally spoke up again. “So, you got a roommate? You like ‘em?”

John stopped himself from shrugging, remembering Hercules’ words, he wasn’t fond of the idea of accidentally being stabbed either. “Yeah, of course. They’re my best friend. Do you live alone?”

“For now.” Hercules laughed again and something about the sound made John’s stomach twist a strange way. “We’ll see how long my side-job can keep up with the rent, you know?”

“What’s your side job?”

“I do regular alterations and stuff for this lady that lives uptown, and her daughters,” Hercules explained. “And sometimes she asks if I can make ‘em a dress or a nice pantsuit. I made her youngest daughter’s prom dress, and let me tell you, that may be my proudest piece of work. Girl wanted nothing but fluff and pink and ruffles, and I wanted to upchuck at just the thought” — he grabbed John’s shoulders and turned him just enough to point out a sketch on the far wall, a floor-length pink gown that John would have placed at some kind of fancy _gala_  rather than a high school prom — “but _that_ masterpiece satisfied her desires and the rules of fashion. Didn’t think I could pull it off, but damn, I did.” He turned John again and took a step back to look over the jacket. “Anyway, hopefully it keeps me afloat awhile. I lived with this little guy just a while ago, swore he just needed a place ’til he could move into his dorm, and I needed the rent that he somehow managed to have every month — anyway, he wasn’t a bad guy really, just a little odd, used to pace around muttering to himself and I swear I never really saw the kid without a pen in his hands or typing obnoxiously on his laptop. But I realized, I can’t do the roommate thing.” Hercules laughed as he stepped forward and grabbed at the edges of the coat. “Alright, I think it’s good. Thank you so much, John.” 

“No problem.” John slipped his arms out of the jacket and turned to face the man, catching another toothy grin before Hercules stepped away and spread the jacket out on the table. He shifted, staring down at his feet to keep himself from staring at Hercules. “Uh, I should probably get back up to my studying.” 

“Of course!” Hercules spun back around, still beaming and, man, John really did enjoy that smile.  He had a feeling it was a common feature for the man, which is really a blessing to everyone. “Sorry about the music, I’ll keep it down for ya. And sorry for keeping you from your studies, but thank you again.” He held his hand back out to John, who took it and let out a small noise of surprise when this seemingly innocent handshake turned out to be a rough yet enjoyable bro-hug. 

“Anytime, man,” he laughed, moving out of the brief embrace. “You should swing by sometime, if you’re ever tired of being alone down here. We love having guests, and I’m sure Lafayette, my roommate, would love to pick your brain about all this fashion stuff. They’re all about that stuff, I got them the March edition of _Vogue_ once and I swear they almost cried.” 

“Yo, at least you know the right time to buy,” Hercules laughed, holding the door open as John stepped out. “I may take you up on that offer, John. Good luck with your studying.” 

John settled back into his usual Tuesday routine, surprisingly not minding the little hiccup that resulted in him only having another half hour to study before he needed to meet Lafayette for lunch. In fact, John was almost excited to tell Lafayette about his morning and about their attractive and adorably kind fashion student neighbor below them. At least he could finally offer more to their Tuesday lunch conversations. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this. Wanna yell @ me about Hamilton? Wanna send me a prompt for this 'verse? I have a special Hamilblog just for that: [ hypeulesnochilligan.tumblr.com](http://hypeulesnochilligan.tumblr.com/)


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